Paleo Birthday Cake Coconut flour Chocolate Frosting

Yesterday was my Birthday! Woo! So, I wanted to make a yummy paleo birthday cake with coconut flour and chocolate frosting. We are having a grown-up celebration Friday, so I spent my actual birthday bundled up with my family while it was perfectly rainy out.

We did venture out for a damn fantastic steak and roasted vegetable/artichoke mix for lunch, and I spent the rest of the day immersed in Bioshock: Infinite. (The awesomeness of that game requires its own post.) Another topic that will require its own post is my infant journey into Paleo.

I feel like I need more time under my belt to delve into that one, but we can talk about one thing: What’s a birthday without some freaking cake?! Sticking to the Paleo guidelines of no dairy or grains, I made a Coconut Layer Cake with Dark Chocolate Frosting.

I was sort of stunned by this cake. It wasn’t even going to be the subject of a blog post, as I thought any dessert without a grain-based flour in it wouldn’t stack up. It turned out delicious! As a matter of fact, it wasn’t just good, it cooked the most evenly of any cake I’ve ever made, and didn’t fall apart at any point during cooling or frosting. The cake is a dense but light tasting Coconut flavor, and the sweetness of the honey really makes the bitter Dark Chocolate Frosting shine. Yes, Paleo allows some Dark Chocolate! (Usually above 70% Cacao and without soy if you can find it.)

The Dark Chocolate Frosting is plainly just Dark Chocolate melted with Coconut Oil and mixed with half of a mashed Sweet Potato. Yep. A Sweet Potato. The starch thickens up the frosting a bit, and Dark Chocolate is a very intense flavor, so there is absolutely no Sweet Potato taste to the cake. I’m in love with this cake, and am stoked to have so quickly found a dessert that doesn’t have any processed sugar or dairy in it, and tastes freaking awesome.

Easy Homemade Paleo Birthday Coconut Flour Cake Recipe

– adapted from The Food Lover’s Kitchen   Ingredients:

• 1 cup Coconut Oil, unrefined, melted
• 1/2 Cup Honey
• 1 cup shredded Coconut, unsweetened
• 1 Tbsp Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 tsp Sea Salt
• 10 Eggs, Cage Free, Organic
• 3/4 cup Coconut Flour, sifted

Process:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. In a small bowl, add sifted coconut flour, salt, and baking soda.
3. In a large bowl or kitchen mixer, combine eggs, vanilla, honey, and melted coconut oil.
4. Add dry ingredients to wet and continue blend.
5. Once batter is blended and smooth, stir in shredded coconut.
6. Grease two 9-inch cake pans with coconut oil.
7. Pour batter into pans.
8. Bake for 35 minutes.
9. Test center of cake with a toothpick.
10. If the toothpick comes out clean, then the cakes are done.
11. Remove cakes from oven and cool.
12. Frost with Dark Chocolate Frosting between layers and top of cake

Dark Chocolate Frosting – personal recipe Ingredients: 1 cup Dark Chocolate, 70% or higher Cacao content, can be less if not adhering to Paleo 1/2 Cup Baked Sweet Potato, skinned 1/4 Cup Unrefined Coconut Oil

Process:

1. In a saucepan on low heat, melt Dark Chocolate and Coconut Oil
2. Stir to combine, and place in fridge for 15 minutes to cool
3. Combine Sweet Potato and Dark Chocolate mixture in a food processor, and pulse until smooth
4. Frost immediately for fudgy frosting, or let cool for thicker yield

Baking Notes: You are reading this right, 10 EGGS! Coconut flour is basically just finely ground coconut meat, and is super-duper absorbent, so it takes a lot less flour and a lot more liquid to make a yummy dessert. I’m really working my way through what is considered “Primal” and “Paleo” food-wise, so some might have an aversion to using potato in any cooking at all if that’s not in their personal guidelines. Dark Chocolate is pretty versatile, and there are a lot of recipes out there for frosting that don’t include a sweet potato element.

Get creative and have fun cooking!